ITV Digital culls staff to lure buyers

ITV Digital has taken the axe to its sales and marketing staff as it attempts to slim down the company and make it look attractive to potential bidders.

Around 30 of the 70 staff in the department are understood to have been made redundant.

These include brand marketing manager James Scroggs and customer communications director Deborah Corless.

However, marketing director Jeremy Dale and advertising director Alison Victory remain in their positions.

Scroggs was instrumental in developing the highly praised 'Monkey' advertising campaign with agency Mother, which ITV Digital has currently put on hold.

ITV Digital has cut a total of 120 jobs this week in a desperate bid to cut costs.

The crisis-hit digital platform has been put up for sale by owners Carlton and Granada, who are no longer willing to tolerate its mounting losses.

Administrator Deloitte & Touche is expected to report back to the Independent Television Commission (ITC) on the progress of the sale on Thursday. Most observers believe the administrator will keep bids open for around a week before the company is put into liquidation.

All marketing activity has now been frozen, although customer communications activity continues.

The ITC has said that ITV Digital's 1.2 million viewers, who are quitting the company at a rate of 4000 per day, would not lose their television services while the sale process continues.

"It's business for usual for subscribers,

said an ITV Digital spokesman.

"We've still got a team of people dealing with customers and a call centre.

Unfortunately we have to reduce the number of staff while we look for a buyer."

Carlton and Granada are concerned that the ongoing crisis is doing serious damage to the ITV brand.

Branding, page 11.

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